What an adventure!

This is an adventure. It’s an incredible adventure. We’re tired and we’re cold, and we won’t pretend we rejoice every time our skipoles hit the snow. But the big picture is that we are both humbled and grateful to be experiencing these days.

The Transantarctic Mountain Range is slowly rising like a film set in front of us, forming a grand panorama. Photo: Norwegian Polar Institute

It’s only a few days since we saw the first subtle hints of land. Now the Transantarctic Mountain Range covers most of the horizon in the south. Like a film set they loom up slowly in front of us, becoming a spectacular panorama. The world’s widest widescreen. The only thing missing is the soundtrack.

We have no difficulty imagining how exciting this must have been for the first person who came here. From where we now stand, the mountain range looks like an impenetrable barrier blocking the way to the South Pole. Amundsen had no way of knowing if it was possible to find a path forward. We don’t have that uncertainty to deal with.

As the day progressed, the wind fell to dead calm, the snow glittered and the temperature was actually pleasant. Today we skied 36 km.